


Reviewed

by AuroraNova



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: M/M, Yelp in Space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:27:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26430382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraNova/pseuds/AuroraNova
Summary: Garak is a skilled tailor, as his ReviewHub page attests. His customers appreciate his talents. They are less thrilled about his habit of ignoring them favor of Dr. Bashir's company.This is all news to Dr. Bashir.
Relationships: Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Comments: 59
Kudos: 244





	Reviewed

ReviewHub: the largest collection of reviews in the Alpha Quadrant, at your fingertips

_Garak’s Clothiers, Bajoran-Federation Starbase Deep Space Nine, Promenade P-47_

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**Evan**

Pros: accepts Federation credits without trying to swindle you on the exchange rate, did a great job repairing my uniform where the shoulder started detaching

Con: proprietor may be a Cardassian spy

**Priyanka**

If you wear Triaxian silk, you know how hard it is to find someone who can work with it. I’m happy to say Garak is one of those rare people. He had a lovely skirt for sale which was four centimeters too long on me. I hesitated to buy it and risk having it ruined, but Garak told me he’d hem it and I didn’t have to purchase it until after it was altered, so I figured I had nothing to lose. A few days later, I went back and the skirt was perfect. Every stitch worked with the weave. Do yourself a favor and stop in here when you’re in the neighborhood.

**Olivia**

I’ll admit I had my concerns re: spy rumors, but the other option was to look like a beached whale in my maternity uniforms (come on, Starfleet, we can do better than this). The uniforms are much more flattering now that Garak altered them, and I’m of the opinion that he just likes gossip and everyone assumes that means he’s a spy because he’s a Cardassian. I’ll be a repeat customer.

**T’Prel**

The proprietor is adept at repairing damaged robes while preserving embroidery.

**Phran**

He closed his shop halfway through my visit. Granted, the sign on the door said he would, but I didn’t expect it meant I’d be firmly escorted off the premises. Why his lunch couldn’t wait another ten minutes, I have no idea, and can only assume that he doesn’t need the income. I won’t be back. It’s a pity, because he had some stylish shirts for sale.

**Varys**

Garak closed up just as I came in, and I thought he was treating me badly because he thinks Bajorans are beneath him. And here I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt! After reading Phran’s review, I’ll admit it’s possible Garak is just incredibly set on his lunch time, which makes me the rude one for ignoring his sign, so maybe I’ll try again tomorrow. There’s a really nice shawl in his window.

Update: I went first thing in the morning and Garak was perfectly pleasant. I’m here visiting my sister, and she says Garak has lunch with the CMO every week, so that’s probably why he’s not flexible on his break time.

**Keiko**

My daughter is very attached to a stuffed animal which I thought was destroyed after an encounter with the vacubot. Garak repaired it good as new, and has my gratitude for averting a toddler meltdown.

**Keith**

I’m pretty sure this guy is taking some kind of illicit substance. He seemed really out of it, even stabbed himself with a needle without noticing, but my trousers were hemmed perfectly, so I guess it’s none of my business.

**Marissa**

I’m so glad Garak has reopened after his recent illness. As an engineer, I’m hard on my uniforms. It’s an occupational hazard. DS9 is less uniform-friendly than a Federation starship, but Garak has multiple tricks to reinforce and repair them. Speaking of friendly, as long as you don’t hold up his lunch date with Dr. Bashir (take his ‘Closed for Lunch from 1230-1330’ sign seriously on the days it’s up!), he’s always pleasant. He also seems pretty knowledgeable about fashion, if you’re into that sort of thing.

**Theo**

Oh. He’s friends with Dr. Bashir. That explains why he was giving me death glares. I’d started to worry about those rumors that he’s a spy.

Don’t criticize Dr. Bashir when in this shop. I don’t dare go back.

**Trud**

My sister sent clothes to wear to her wedding and told me to get them tailored. When I got home for her wedding, she said Garak did a fantastic job and clearly reads up on Tellarite trends.

His rush fee is an outrage.

**Jocelyn**

Apparently Garak and Dr. Bashir are up to having lunch two days a week now. It’s a tad inconvenient, but my clothes are so much more flattering after he’s done with them that I’m willing to overlook this.

Edit: they’re up to three days a week now. Just assume Garak’s will be closed from 1230 to 1330 every day and save yourself some trouble.

**Aredun**

Apparently visitors from the Gamma Quadrant sometimes like to bring home Alpha Quadrant fashion. I say this because Garak will take payment from them in the form of alcohol, so if you’re in the market for exotic beverages and have the funds for rare varieties, talk to Garak. He accepts Federation credits, Bajoran litas, Cardassian leks, and latinum.

**Zach**

Look, I don’t care what he does when he’s not working, but I think it’s rude that Garak lost interest in me as soon as Dr. Bashir stepped foot in his store. My inquiry about having a holosuite costume tailored obviously couldn’t compare to the allure of flirting. This is getting ridiculous.

**Boday**

Most space stations, once they reach a certain population, have a tailor. I should know; I’ve been to a great many. The majority of these tailors are passable at best. Garak is top-rate, and his shop is well worth a visit even if you don’t have anything which needs to be altered at the moment. He will special order for you, as well.

**Ittix**

Regarding the exotic beverages, don’t expect you’ll be able to afford them on a Starfleet non-com stipend.

Regarding Dr. Bashir, based on what I overheard, I’m reasonably certain Garak gives him a steep discount. He can afford it, with those liquor prices.

**Adrienne**

Garak can do wonders for an ill-fitting dress. Even the most regrettable, non-returnable purchase made after one too many drinks in Quark’s might be salvageable in Garak’s hands, and his fees are very reasonable.

**Drew**

Garak managed to reinforce the knees on my uniforms while keeping them comfortable. I have no idea how he did it, and I don’t care. I also don’t care if he escorts me out so he’s not late to lunch with his boyfriend. Crawling around the station for an entire shift isn’t quite as bad now, so I’m happy.

**Lyniea**

I happened to be in line today when Dr. Bashir came in, and we engaged in some mild flirting until Garak’s deadly stare had me worrying for the safety of my trousers (and possibly my entire person). Dr. Bashir didn’t appear to notice. How can he be so oblivious? This has gotten absurd.

* * *

“Jadzia!” In his agitation, Julian Bashir hit her doorbell not once but three times without even noticing that he did so.

The door slid open to reveal Jadzia Dax in loungewear. It was not terribly long ago that Julian would’ve been delighted at the chance to see her out of uniform, with her hair down no less. Now he barely noticed.

“What is it, Julian? Come in.”

He waved his PADD. “I’ve just read Garak’s ReviewHub page.”

Jadzia had never done so herself. Garak was the only tailor on the station, so when she needed something altered (which was infrequently, since she was one of those people blessed to easily find clothes which fit properly) she went to him without bothering to read the reviews. He did good work. “And?”

“And look!”

She took the PADD expecting that Julian was upset to see anti-Cardassian prejudice, and instead found multiple comments on Garak’s interest in Julian. Maybe business reviews were more entertaining than she’d given them credit for. She made a mental note to look up Quark’s later.

“Well, they’re not wrong,” she said, and gave the PADD back.

Julian was so astonished it took him a few seconds to reply. “What do you mean they’re not wrong?”

She all but ticked the list off on her fingers. “Garak is flirting with you, he gets jealous when you flirt with other people, and he’s giving you a generous discount.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” asked Julian, for whom this was clearly new information.

“It’s usually best to let people work these things out for themselves.” Though she had been wondering lately if a few unsubtle hints might be required in this particular case.

Julian did not look convinced by her reasoning.

“I take it you didn’t know Cardassians consider a good argument to be the height of flirting,” she said.

“That was not in the Starfleet cultural file!” he wailed.

“It isn’t?” If Julian was right – and he probably was, being the kind of man who did not skimp on his research – it was a severe oversight. Then again, she didn’t think many people in the Federation cared enough about Cardassian culture to learn this key information. She only knew from one of Curzon’s trysts. It put Iloja’s interactions with Tobin in an entirely new light, not that Tobin would ever have gone for it even if he’d known. Casual sex didn’t exist in Tobin’s world.

While Jadzia considered the source of her knowledge, Julian was mentally compiling a long list of debates in which he’d gotten very involved, and could not believe he’d been blatantly flirting each and every time. And Garak… seemed to enjoy the conversations very much, so maybe Julian need not barricade himself in the infirmary for the foreseeable future out of sheer embarrassment. (Which was a new low for him. He was well acquainted with social embarrassment, unfortunately. It usually caught up to him six months or so after the precipitating event.)

“Are you sure about this?” he asked.

“The whole station is sure.”

“They might have told me.”

Most people had assumed Julian knew. It wasn’t an unreasonable supposition, even if Starfleet personnel weren’t familiar with the intricacies of Cardassian courtship. Garak was not exactly subtle, and until she saw Julian having lunch with him, Jadzia hadn’t known it was possible for one person to look so adoringly at another without any clue as to their own feelings.

“Now you know,” she said. “The question is, what are you going to do about it?”

Julian considered for a moment. “Is there any other important information on Cardassian social norms you haven’t shared?” 

“Blue is considered the most seductive color on a man.”

That was easy enough. Being Julian’s favorite color, blue was heavily represented in his off-duty wardrobe. Which, come to think of it, could explain why Garak had seemed surprised one day when he showed up for lunch in civilian clothes. 

He came up with a plan. “I’ll give Garak a book I know he’ll hate. Something dripping in sentimentality. Next week when we have lunch on my day off, I’ll show up wearing blue and invite him to continue the discussion in my quarters. Do you think that will get the message across?”

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t.” Jadzia had no doubt that Garak would seize his opportunity as soon as Julian made it clear said opportunity existed. “I want to hear all about it.”

* * *

**Toby**

I had an appointment for a fitting this afternoon, which Garak cancelled at the third-to-last minute, no explanation offered. By third-to-last minute, I mean I waited around in front of his shop for ten minutes before I gave up, only to find a message when I got back to my quarters which had been sent three minutes before my appointment time. His customer service could stand improvement.

**Sietlu**

Since when does Dr. Bashir hang out in Garak’s shop? It’s quite unnerving. I feel like I’m interrupting something.

My uniform is repaired to Garak’s usual standards, so his boyfriend isn’t distracting him too badly.

**Amanda**

Oh dear God, I walked into Garak’s this afternoon to ask about a custom shawl. We all know he and Dr. Bashir are together, but who would expect to see them making out and pawing at each other’s clothes, in the middle of the afternoon, in a public place? Get a room!

Edit: apparently this was due to Ambassador Troi’s influence, although I still think they could’ve locked the door and flipped the sign to ‘Closed.’

**Author's Note:**

> I had to delete this one when the story went in a different (shippier, getting-together-earlier) direction, but I liked it so I'm putting it here.
> 
> **Gregory**
> 
> I’ve had Garak let out sleeves for me a few times since I was posted here. Never had any issues. Well, today I went to drop off a new shirt and his store is closed. For six months. Because he’s serving time for attempting to commit genocide by destroying an entire planet.  
> 
> 
> I obviously need to pay more attention to the rumors around here.


End file.
